


Would Immortality Be Enough?

by penstrikesmidnight



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ancient Greek Religion & Lore Fusion, Angst with a Happy Ending, Fate & Destiny, M/M, Mild Sexual Content, Temporary Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-11
Updated: 2020-12-11
Packaged: 2021-03-10 19:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,594
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28002759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penstrikesmidnight/pseuds/penstrikesmidnight
Summary: This was the moment, Tooru knew. The moment that would change everything for him. It had been such a short amount of time, mere minutes in the span of eternity, and this mortal had altered his life forever.He didn't regret it.
Relationships: Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru
Comments: 8
Kudos: 46
Collections: IwaOi Week 2020





	Would Immortality Be Enough?

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I've had this mostly written for so many different fanweeks, but I finally finished it and polished it up for Day 10 of IwaOi week. This is loosely based on the myth of Artemis and Orion, which is honestly one of my favorite myths. I'm so happy with how this turned out, and I hope you enjoy it as well! Please mind the tags; there is character death in this, although the ending is happy.

When Hajime dies, the world is quiet.

Tooru has seen death in all capacities as God of the Hunt. He would have thought that Hajime's would have altered the universe in some big, unexpected way, but the crickets around him start singing again, hesitant at first and then more strongly, the dragonflies still flit among the tall, reedy grass, and the rising sun glistens off the dew still lingering on the grass surrounding them.

Tooru always treats his weapons, especially his bow, with respect, but now it slips from his fingers as he makes his way toward the prone body forgotten on the ground. He knows, objectively, that this is his Iwa-chan, the one who wandered into his forest six years previous, so sure of himself as he requested to be Tooru's hunting companion. But it doesn't look like him, and it certainly doesn't feel like he is here. It is never this cold, this empty, when Hajime is in the forest with him.

Tooru kneels, his leg gently pressing against the side of Hajime's body. He reaches down to place his hand on Hajime's cheek. It is still warm. He shuts Hajime's olive green eyes with careful fingers then slips a coin into his mouth for safe passage across the river Styx, withdrawing his hand quickly once the task is complete.

Tooru folds his arms, as if he can hold himself together with the gesture. He should move, should prepare the body for...he can't even think what for. He tightens his grip on his upper arms. Everything is his fault.

He doesn't know how long he stays kneeling there but the sun has risen fully in the sky before he rouses himself. A fawn wanders up to him, lays her head in his lap. Squirrels chitter to each other, darting close to leave him little gifts of leaves and acorns, and in the distance, he can hear a dove coo mournfully. The forest knows him so intimately. In this moment, he hates it. He hates that one person has made him this vulnerable, so vulnerable his subjects are trying to comfort him.

It was never supposed to be this way.

* * *

Everyone knew the bounds of Tooru's forest. Technically, he had the right to any woodland and every creature in it, but he had set aside a handful of acres for himself and his attendants to live in, close to his sister and within walking distance of the ocean. Even humans could sense where their domain ended, and his began.

That day was different.

The forest was shivering, a strange sensation to be sure, but Tooru had no other word for it. The tremoring gossip started at the very southernmost part of his wood, rolling up to the northeastern corner before tumbling back again. Sometimes, when he had unexpected important guests a similar, strange buzz would linger, but not enough for it to break him out of his daily responsibilities. Not like this.

He stormed toward the epicenter of the gossip. Before he got there, Issei, one of the Gods of the Underworld, emerged from the shadows. Tooru scowled at him. "Do you know what all this fuss and nonsense is about? Summer is fast approaching, and I have things that need to be done."

Issei shrugged. "Takahiro said there's a stranger in the wood. A stranger who has made quite the name for himself, if the rumors are true."

"I'll turn him into a sapling," Tooru muttered, "then he will be of use to the world."

Issei whistled. "What a foul mood you're in."

Before Tooru could retort, they entered the clearing close to the southwest of his domain, the one nearest the sea. There, sitting on a fallen tree, was a man. Tooru glanced around, but there was nothing else amiss. He noticed that Issei had left him to take care of this problem himself, so, scowling, he turned back to the stranger, studying him closer.  
He was nothing particularly special, besides his interesting green eyes, the same color as a clear stream in the peak of summer. He was all sinewy, compact muscle, with a closed, fairly forgettable face (except for those eyes, those arrestingly clear eyes). Still. Something about him piqued Tooru's interest. "You have fifteen seconds to give me a reason not to turn you into a tree for wasting my time," Tooru finally said, folding his arms, lifting his head high.

Before answering, the stranger sank to his knees, bowing deeply to Tooru. Tooru raised his eyebrows. Well. He had good manners, at least, although Tooru was a little put out that the stranger didn't look scared by his threat.

"My name is Hajime Iwaizumi," he said, his voice carefully blank.

Tooru blinked. Hajime. He had heard this name whispered among the nymphs of the forest. A man touched by the gods. A shiver ran down Tooru's spine. Why would this mortal man have sought out his forest, especially with the trials the gods had already put him through? Surely there was nothing he could provide.

"Ah, Hajime Iwaizumi. I _have_ heard of you." Tooru smiled, a dark, dangerous thing. Instead of shying away, Hajime sat up straight, his eyes locking with Tooru's. Tooru waved his hand in the air. "You are a skilled hunter, although not as good as me, of course. You fell in love with your Lord's daughter, who hated the thought of someone so low courting her, and even your heritage as a son of Poseidon didn't appeal to him. One night, you had a little too much to drink, things got out of hand with the girl, her father blinded you. But clearly, you have your sight back. Hinata does have a soft heart, especially for heroes. You think you've suffered enough and now, here you are, maybe by accident, most likely by luck, and you want my hospitality. Did I miss anything?"

The clearing was quiet except for the far off gurgling of a stream and the call of a duck. Tooru waited with his sharp smile while Hajime calculated what he could say to back Tooru away from the corner he had pushed them into.

"I came here for a purpose," Hajime finally said. His voice was clear as a bell's toll, steady and even. "I came to be your hunting companion."

Tooru couldn't help it--he let out a derisive laugh. "You? Come to be _my_ hunting companion? After everything you've done? I should turn you into a rock, after you took advantage of that poor girl..."

"I didn't take advantage of anyone..." Hajime interrupted with a fierce look on his face. He stopped himself quickly, taking a deep breath when he realized he had played right into Tooru's game. "Look, all I want is to hunt. You are the best hunter on the earth. I am sure there is much you can teach me. Please, Tooru-sama. Allow me to learn from you."

Tooru needed no hunting companion. He worked best alone or with his sister. Surely, he needed no other.

Just as he decided Hajime would make a nice oak tree by the bank of the river, a young fawn broke into the clearing. Both he and Hajime turned to watch as she sniffed around a clump of flowers, meandering her way toward Hajime. Instead of skittering away like most deer did when confronted with mortals, she nuzzled her nose into his cheek. Hajime smiled, staying still enough that she didn't shy away, slowly lifting his hand to rest on her flank. She butted her nose firmer into Hajime's neck, as if she wanted to play with him.

Well. Tooru pouted. That, he guessed, was that.

"Oh, shoo," he finally said, walking over to the pair and waving the fawn back toward her mother, who peeked nervously into the clearing. She gave Hajime one last head butt before scampering away. Hajime glanced up to Tooru, his face falling back into that serious, reserved expression he had had on moments before. Tooru didn't like it near as much as the unguarded softness he had seen just seconds before, but he kept that to himself. "Hunting companion, hmm? It won't be easy."

Hajime nodded, relief touching the corners of his eyes and mouth. "Nothing in my life has been easy."

Tooru pressed his lips together. "Be ready to leave at sunup. I have things to take care of. There is a network of caves up north a ways. Pick one."

"Where do you stay?" Hajime challenged.

Tooru laughed. "Maybe one day, you'll earn the privilege of knowing. For now, you get the caves. Sunup, Iwa-chan, or you'll make a fine addition to my forest."

With that, he stalked away. His heart beat fast, as if he had just finished a particularly exhilarating chase. 

Hajime. Iwa-chan. He wondered what fate was trying to tell him.

"So," Issei said as he materialized next to Tooru. Takahiro skipped out from behind a dense cluster of trees, "you didn't turn him into a sapling."

"He's going to be my hunting companion."

Tooru turned when Issei and Takahiro stopped walking. They stared at him, eyes wide. Tooru felt oddly exposed.

"What?" he snapped, refusing to fold his arms to feel less vulnerable.

Issei and Takahiro exchanged looks. "It's just...You've never cared about a human before," Takahiro says, his voice neutral, so very unlike him.

"Maybe something about him made me curious," Tooru answered. He'd thought he would sound defensive, but instead his voice was soft, almost questioning. Before either of his friends could answer, Tooru waved the words away. "It doesn't matter. We are just hunting, nothing more. I am sure after a year or two, when he has learned the secrets I want to share, he will be on his way. Or he becomes a flower."

Another look passed between Issei and Takahiro. Tooru hated it--it was like trying to find a particular stone in muddy water. Before he could tell them to stop, Issei shrugged. "Fine. Just be careful."

"Please," Tooru scoffed, "what damage can one mortal do?"

* * *

Tooru gathers all the necessary materials to prepare Hajime for burial. He begins with the washing. He dips a blessed container into the clear stream water close to where he first met Hajime, ignoring the curious otters, even as they follow him back through the forest to where Hajime lies. Tooru is thorough and precise, making sure every inch of Hajime’s skin is cleaned. If he focuses on the task at hand, he can almost forget why he is doing what he is doing in the first place. Next to them, the otters chitter, chasing squirrels around the trees.

Tooru's hands skitter when they encounter the scorpion sting on Hajime's back. It is huge, raised and red, the puncture in his lower back probably enough to have killed him without the venom. It would have been quick. Tooru takes a shuddering breath, closes his eyes for a few seconds, then continues on, more determined than before. It is a relief when he can turn Hajime over again. 

He then adorns Hajime with oil. He can hear Hajime's voice grumbling about how he smells like flowers now, and Tooru would retort that there is nothing wrong with smelling less like a sweaty mortal man, to which Hajime would probably smack his arm before tackling him to the ground and kissing him senseless. _You don't seem to mind me smelling like a man_ , Hajime would say, voice rough and deep as he pins Tooru to the forest floor. He finds himself smiling as he gently massages the oil into Hajime's now cool skin. 

Next, he puts a nice white chiton on Hajime. He had only worn it twice, both times at Tooru's insistence as they met with some of the more important gods or when Mina made an official visit. Tooru thinks Hajime looks rather handsome in it, had even offered to get him something more formal but, as Hajime had pointed out, there is not much use for nice clothing in a forest. Tooru's hands automatically avoid Hajime's wound, as they had numerous other, less fatal, times.

By then, Tooru has gathered quite an audience, as he usually does when he sits still for long periods of time. Little bundles of twigs and nuts, stray ribbons and beads, are strewn around him from birds and small rodents alike. He gathers up a few and slips them into Hajime's pocket. The otters are still playing in the clearing. They'd always been Hajime's favorite to watch.

After Hajime's body has been properly seen to, Tooru gathers laurel leaves, wild celery, and lilies. He sits cross-legged next to Hajime and begins to deftly weave a wreath. "Only the best for my Hajime," Tooru whispers. He tries to focus his attention solely on his weaving, on the way his fingers dance around the greenery. He loses his focus twice, crushing the delicate plants in his fists, and has to start over. He's not usually bad at this. A tear slides down his cheek but he brushes it away impatiently. He needs to finish before he allows himself feelings, needs to make sure that, whatever else happens, Hajime is taken care of properly. The same way Hajime has always taken care of him.

* * *

Tooru was suspiciously surprised with how easy it was for Hajime to fall into his life. For the first year, Hajime was deferential, an impressively quick learner, and a very good hunter. He was punctual, precise, and clean, and the creatures in the forest loved him. There had been many a time Tooru had walking into a cluster of nymphs gossiping about him. It was slightly infuriating for him to be less than the center of attention.

Quite suddenly, Hajime had solidified his position in the forest and as Tooru's right hand, and Tooru didn't entirely understand how it happened.

Regardless, Tooru couldn't say he was upset with what had grown between him and Hajime. Rather, he found he liked being around the mortal; he was good company, banter flowed between them effortlessly, and, most of all, Hajime respected Tooru's job and the forest. For as long as Tooru had been alive, he had had no use for humans due to their destructive, reckless natures and didn't understand why his sister Mina and by extension Issei and Takahiro, were so enthralled with them. Watching Hajime flourish in his forest, Tooru thought maybe he was beginning to understand the curiosity.

As the years continued on, their relationship softened from master and pupil to something closer to friendship. Tooru still taught Hajime when the opportunity arose, but Hajime had also begun telling Tooru stories of his experiences among his own people as well. They spun out of him slowly, creating a tapestry of pride, hardship, misunderstanding, and humility. Tooru couldn't believe how much had happened to a human barely reaching thirty years of life.

"I am happy that Hinata believed you," Tooru said one afternoon, four years into their companionship, after Hajime had divulged his experience with the excitable sun god. "Most of us would have scorned you, for numerous reasons."

"Including you?" Hajime asked, looking up from where he was sharpening an arrowhead. 

Tooru sniffed. "If you had forced yourself on that poor girl, I would have had no qualms in making you a rock and throwing you into the depths of the river."

"But you did not," Hajime pointed out, turning back to his arrow. "You did not know me any more than any other human. You've never taken a companion before. I knew my chances of impressing you were slim--I think, looking back on my rash decision, I believed this would be an honorable way to stop existing. So why did you decide I was worth taking in?"

Tooru focused his gaze on his fingers, stringing his bow deftly as he thought about how to answer Hajime. This question had lingered in Tooru's mind since he had accepted Hajime's blunt proposal. "It was the doe, mostly. The one that likes to follow you around. You caught me in a bad mood--it didn't matter who you were, I was just going add another tree to the riverbank. But the fawn liked you, and that is very rare. A sign from the fates should never be ignored. Gods and men alike, we are all servants to destiny."

"And why did you keep me?"

Surprised, Tooru looked over at Hajime. They sat together on a fallen log, close enough that either could reach out and touch the other. Hajime was already looking at Tooru, his pretty green eyes studying him. Tooru felt his cheeks turning red under the scrutiny but he could not look away. Hajime had changed subtly in their time together. His face was older, his shoulders broader, his muscles trimmed and toned from the physicality of his new role. His hair was the same, at Tooru's subtle insistence, but Hajime had never put up a fight in that regard. His guard had dropped significantly as well, his trust in Tooru magnified.

Tooru himself looked the same he had for years. The same chestnut brown hair, big dark brown eyes in a wide face that made him look innocent to people who did not know him, perfectly shaped lips and well-defined cheekbones. Even his body had not aged much past mortal prime. He wondered what Hajime saw of him. If he noticed Tooru's gates slowly opening for him, if he realized that he was the first human to ever see Tooru as anything less than the God of the Forest. If he saw how, lately, Tooru had begun to be frightened of what would happen if Hajime were to leave him.

"I did not kill you because I could tell you were honest," Tooru finally answered, breaking the intense connection that had unwittingly formed between them. He tested the string he had just finished tying. "I can see it sometimes, the stains on humanity, especially when a lie is unresolved. And you did not lie to me, not then and not in the days to follow."

Tooru did not mention how his curiosity had stirred, how he had liked showing off to this mortal man who had been one of the greatest hunters of his kind. Some mortals were touched by the gods, and Tooru could see why the gods would be fascinated with Hajime. After awhile, Tooru had found he enjoyed Hajime's companionship. And his looks.

Tooru had never taken a lover, had never had the desire before, but recently he had found his thoughts wondering what it would be like. To touch this mortal, to have this mortal touch him in return. To trust a human so completely that he would give himself to them.

No. Tooru would not tell him about that.

"Well then. Thank you for your trust in me," Hajime said, startling Tooru out of his vulnerable thoughts. Tooru looked over at Hajime through his eyelashes. He had turned his attention back to the arrows in front of him, but Tooru could tell that his focus was not fully on his task.

Maybe it was the lingering feelings simmering in Tooru's gut, but he reached out, cupping his hand over Hajime's. Hajime's fingers stilled under Tooru's touch. He looked up as Tooru turned his hand over, traced a prominent vein on the palm of Hajime's hand, following it up his wrist and the underside of his forearm, before lightly grasping his bicep. He watched Hajime swallow, hard, his face trying to stay expressionless.

"You should tell me if you do not want me to kiss you," Tooru murmured, his bow forgotten on his lap as he raised his free hand to cup Hajime's strong jaw.

"I want you to," Hajime said, his voice trembling like a leaf in a light summer breeze. Tooru ran a thumb over Hajime's cheekbone before leaning over, parting his lips in anticipation.

Hajime's lips tasted of the berries they had shared after lunch mingled with salt from his sweat accumulated during the day. Tooru breathed deeply when he broke away, looking up into Hajime's eyes for approval. Hajime looked much more human this close, with nicks and blemishes in his skin that Tooru would never experience. He realized, then, how much of Hajime he wanted to explore. 

He felt one of Hajime's hands press on the small of his back, the other resting on the his neck. Tooru leaned forward again, closing the narrow space between them. If they spent the rest of the afternoon there, mouths pressed together, Tooru thought that would be a beautiful way to pass the time.

But, all too soon, Hajime broke away for good. He rested his forehead against Tooru's. Tooru felt his breath travel down his nose and lips, wet and warm.

This was the moment, Tooru knew. The moment that would change everything for him. It had been such a short amount of time, mere minutes in the span of eternity, and this mortal had altered his life forever. 

He didn't regret it.

* * *

Tooru is just finishing the wreath when he feels Issei's presence in the clearing. He takes a few steadying breaths before looking up at the tall, dark figure.

"Hiro said something happened, so I went to see," Issei says, his voice reverential. His eyes flit briefly to Hajime before settling back on Tooru. Tooru watches his Adam's apple bob, his eyes blink a few times. They had been friends, Tooru knew, in a much different way than he and Issei were friends but friends nonetheless. Issei sits a few paces away from Tooru, studying him. Tooru smooths out the last of the leaves on his wreath, trying to find the in-between place he had been in just moments before. His breathing is rapidly becoming unsteady.

"Is he all right?" Tooru asks finally, his voice trembling just the slightest bit.

"Yes," Issei answers simply. The Underworld is a mysterious place to Tooru. Death was part of every aspect of his life, and yet he knew so little of the afterlife. He had never much cared before, and Issei has never divulged his responsibilities to Tooru, just as Tooru had never really shared his duties with Issei. "Are _you_ all right?"

Tooru is finished with the wreath. He places it on Hajime's head. Like this, he looks like he is sleeping. Tooru doesn't look at Issei. He is trying not to think about the fact that the only thing left is to lay Hajime to rest, to never see...

He feels Issei's arms wrap around him as the tears finally fall. He presses his hands to his mouth, trying to stop his emotions from completely spilling out of him. "Hey," Issei says, his voice soft, his hand rubbing gentle circles on Tooru's back.

"It's not...I don't..." Before Tooru knows what is happening, he is sobbing into Issei's shoulder. He's never cried like this, never felt like there was a gaping hole inside of his chest that could never be filled. "I was supposed to protect him. What good am I if I couldn't even keep him alive?"

"Shh," Issei soothes, his voice lulling in Tooru's ear.

"It's my fault," Tooru continues, grasping onto Issei tighter. "If I had listened to him, if I hadn't gone to Mina's, if I would have trusted what he'd said..."

"Stop," Issei says firmly. Tooru snaps his mouth closed. He drags himself up, away from Issei, and wipes his eyes. "I think it would be best if you left for awhile. Clear your head. I'll stay here with Hajime for as long as you need. Go talk to someone, or meditate, allow yourself to come to terms with what has happened. And this is not your fault."

Tooru's first instinct is to protest, as if his presence will magically make Hajime's situation change. But Issei's expression is steely, no room for argument, so Tooru stands on shaking legs. Issei has a point. Tooru needs to get his head on straight before making any rash decisions. Because now that he isn't using most of his willpower to get through the task of preparing Hajime for burial, he has a small seed of a thought that is slowly beginning to grow. Fate didn't bring Hajime into Tooru's life just to separate them so quickly and easily. There has to be something more, and Tooru is going to figure out what it is.

* * *

Hajime's and Tooru's relationship grew like the sun rises--slowly and steadily, brightening so gradually it was hardly noticeable until it had risen completely.

It started with touches, fleeting and hesitant and familiar. After their first kiss, Tooru shied away from any more intimacy. He knew it was silly. Most humans would do anything for the gods, and most gods used that willingness to their advantage. But Tooru wanted more than just a crude coupling with Hajime.

The next time Tooru kissed Hajime had been entirely by accident. It was just a small kiss on the corner of his mouth as they parted for the night almost a full year after the first one. It had seemed so natural, as if they had done it infinite times before. Tooru stood, mortified, waiting for the relentless teasing that was sure to come.

"I was wondering if you thought it had been a mistake," Hajime said instead, kissing Tooru briefly in the same spot. "I am glad you have decided it was not."

"If I knew Iwa-chan had been waiting for me to kiss him again, I would have prolonged the moment until he was begging at my feet," Tooru answered, trying to cover his embarrassment. His feelings had not spilled out of him like this since he was young. 

Hajime smirked. "I think you just want to see me begging, Tooru-sama."

It had been a very long time since Hajime had used his honorific, and the sound of it rolling off of Hajime's tongue sent a sensation not unlike a drop of cold water rolling down his spine.

"Mmm, well, you clearly aren't desperate enough yet. Tomorrow, my sister arrives, so be ready for her."

With that sentence, all sexual tension left the clearing. Hajime's expression fell into something very blank, which Tooru knew meant Hajime was wary of what was to come. "I know you don't like her," Tooru said quickly, trying to reassure him. He placed his hand on Hajime's arm, wanting to bring some sort of camaraderie back between them. "But you only have to have dinner with her. After that, you won't need to see her again."

"She doesn't like me," Hajime said bluntly.

Tooru laughed. It came out flat, a caricature of happiness. "Don't flatter yourself; she doesn't like that I chose you to be my companion, is all. She is very defensive about who I spend my time with."

"Who you give your body to," Hajime corrected, his tone suppressing a bite. "And it is none of her business. You don't ask her who she has taken as lovers."

Tooru rolled his eyes. "The list would be endless. And besides, we have nothing to hide from her."

Hajime looked at Tooru for a long moment before sighing. "You are right, we don't. I will be cordial to your sister, for no other reason than the fact that I don't want to be turned into an out-of-tune lyre for incurring her wrath."

Tooru couldn't suppress the real laugh that bubbled from his chest. "You cannot possibly think Mina would let you go that easily. No, she's petty enough to turn you into one of her oracles so I couldn't touch you again."

"Well, we can't have that happen." Tooru could sense tension creeping back into their conversation so he stiffened, bracing himself for Hajime's next words. "I don't...I've never sworn any sort of oath to a god or goddess."

Tooru raised his eyebrows, trying to conceal his surprise. "You want to be my priest?"

"I don't know," Hajime said. Tooru had only heard Hajime uncertain a handful of times. His eyes were vulnerable as they looked at Tooru, questioning and hopeful. "I just want to declare my loyalty to you."

Tooru grinned, his heart suddenly big in his chest. "Is that all? I've never heard this from you before." He clapped his hands. "Let's do it now, then, so you can't change your mind. I love when I get new worshipers. Kneel down, kneel down."

Hajime's eyes widened. Tooru looked at him, challenge glittering in his eyes. His heart skipped in his chest. This wasn't an intimate ceremony by any means. It wasn't even a unique position for Hajime to hold, but to be able to do this to Hajime himself felt much more binding than any human doing it with his authorization.

Hajime fell to his knees, scowling up at Tooru. "Seems you don't like begging as much as you let on. It's okay, we'll work on it," Tooru said lightly as he placed his hands on Hajime's head. Before Hajime could retort, Tooru said, "Hajime Iwaizumi, son of Poseidon, warrior and hunter, I consecrate you as a priest for Tooru, God of the Hunt and the Wilderness, for the rest of your days."

It had seemed a silly little thing, a joke that would only make sense to the two of them, when Tooru started, but as the final words left his lips, a strange burning started deep in his chest. He knew immediately it was an expression of how strongly Hajime believed in him, loved him, admired him. He retracted his hands, holding them to his breast as if trying to tamp down Hajime's emotions. But they were already disappearing, leaving Tooru to wonder if he had imagined the whole situation. Hajime stood, refusing to look into his eyes, which was answer enough.

"Tomorrow," Tooru finally whispered. He could not bring his voice louder. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Yes," Hajime answered. Before he could turn away, Tooru's hand darted out, touching his cheek. He leaned in and kissed Hajime very softly before breaking away.

"Thank you. For your dedication. I am very grateful to you," Tooru said, and before Hajime could answer he slipped away into the trees, his heart still racing with the implications of what he had just done.

* * *

There is no place in the forest that Tooru can go without being reminded of Hajime, so he goes to Hitoka's library. Hitoka is quiet and terrified of her shadow, so Tooru is quite sure she won't ask him why he looks as horrible as he does.

Hitoka squeaks when she sees Tooru, holding her book tightly to her chest as if as a shield, but says, "Hi Tooru! Do you need help looking for anything?"

Tooru is already shaking his head, ducking into himself as if he can hide, but the title of her book snags his attention. _Measurements of Trade_. He is sure the book she is reading describes the ratio of grain to corn to barley to rye to cinnamon to nutmeg to whatever people usually trade. But. Everything can be traded. As long as it is for greater value.

"Do you have any books on trading in the Underworld?" Tooru asks suddenly. "Or how to change statuses? Mortals turning to gods, gods stripped of their godhood, etcetera and so on?"

Hitoka's eyes dart nervously around the room as if expecting someone to jump out and punish her. "That isn't something you would normally be researching," she says with a nervous giggle. 

"These aren't normal circumstances," Tooru answers, trying to keep his voice breezy. His mind is racing. He's trying to remember, long ago, the circumstances around Daichi and Suga, how they had disappeared to the Underworld, never returned, and no one talked about it. It had something to do with a dead lover, or a punished one, or something...

"Um, Tooru-san?"

He blinks, focusing back on Hitoka, who looks less frightened and more sympathetic. Tooru hates the look. "I apologize, there's a lot on my mind..."

"I actually think I have what you're looking for." Hitoka motions with her head for Tooru to follow, so he does. They walk down rows and rows of books, the silence heavy and comforting. Hitoka stops in front of an unassuming shelf, pulling a tiny green book off of it. "Please don't tell Issei-san I gave it to you though."

Tooru takes it, runs his fingers down the cover. It is smaller than his hand, probably less than one hundred pages. When he flips it open, there are strange, spindly pictures with barely discernible script pressed against the margins.

"I understand," Hitoka says, startling Tooru out of his reverie. He glances up at her earnest expression, and she continues, her voice rushed. "I understand why you want to do this. I think there comes a time in every immortal's life when their mantle is ready to be passed on. I am in love with a naiad, and she will live for much longer than a human, but I know when she leaves, I will follow. There are many different scenarios that have been documented, but I think most every god's sacrifice stems from love."

The confession seems to have reminded Hitoka of her usual fearful nature, because her cheeks turn bright red and she begins stuttering out apologies. Tooru chuckles--his first real expression of happiness since he had found Hajime in the clearing just that morning. Hitoka's words stop. "Does everyone in the pantheon know what happened then? You're all incorrigible gossips," he says, holding up the book, but by the way Hitoka's lips curl into a shy smile, he knows she understands what he isn't saying. Without another word, she slips away.

Tooru doesn't bother to find a table, just flips through the thin, brittle pages of the old manuscript, his eyes skimming the ancient text for any sign of what he is looking for. About three quarters of the way through, he finally finds a section detailing the weight of a human soul. It seems that, while extensive study has gone into trying to figure out exact measurements of how a human's worth is measured, there is no definitive answer. Time, deeds, and skill seem to have a universal measurement, but emotions like love, happiness, and pride can vary. Regardless, from what Tooru can garner, Hajime's soul would be worth quite a lot.

On the second to last page, he finds a very small section on the weight of immortality. All it says is: _There is not much a god can offer of themselves to trade in the Underworld, save for their immortality. Immortality is the rarest of trades, and as such is the least known. It appears that destiny and willpower are key components in whether a trade will be sufficient. Note: if a god separates from their immortality, they cannot be rejoined, even if the trade fails._ The accompanying picture looks like a small ball of yarn.

Tooru closes the book, places it back on the shelf, and pads quietly out of the library. Hitoka looks up as he passes her, but she doesn't say anything.

Instead of going home, Tooru hikes up Mount Ida to a place he used to escape to when he was new to his responsibilities and he needed to be alone. He finds a perch on a rocky outcropping overlooking the woods and pulls his knees to his chin, studying the landscape beneath him. It feels like saying goodbye.

When he rouses himself, the sun has already started its descent. He has already been gone longer than he should have been--Issei needs to get back to the Underworld. Tooru wonders what it would be like, being relieved of his godly duties. He feels a prick of sadness in his chest, because the forest has always been his life. It would be the one thing he would miss, when he traded his godhood for Hajime's soul. That, and his sister.

When he thinks about Mina, his steps falter. He glances east, toward where she resides. Maybe he should visit with her, should tell her what his plan is.

In the end, he trudges onward, back to Hajime, back to where Issei is waiting for him. Mina will just have to understand.

* * *

Tooru tried to make it so the two most important people in his life liked each other. Or, if not _liked_ , then at least tolerated. But no matter what plans he orchestrated, Mina always seemed to find a reason to dislike Hajime. It was only a matter of time until things got out of hand.

It had been exactly six years since Hajime had come to the forest. Tooru had wanted to spend the evening celebrating, but Mina had swooped in at the last moment, demanding his attention, which Hajime had grudgingly agreed to. After a disastrous dinner, culminating in Hajime's very restrained exit from the room during a barrage of derogatory remarks from Mina about his new status as priest, Tooru had had enough. 

"Mina," he snapped. She arched a perfect eyebrow at him, her expression slightly coy. She and Tooru looked strikingly similar, their eyes and hair the same color, their faces the same wide, angular shape; even their mannerisms were almost identical. Tooru knew this expression; they were about to fight. "I don't understand why you've decided to hate Hajime, but he is my honored guest and I will not have you belittling him just because you have decided to hold a petty grudge..."

"Oh, are we talking about pettiness?" Mina said, her voice sweet as a sugar-coated knife blade. "Let's not forget when you played a hunting game with the man who peeked at you while you were bathing in a stream. Or the time you tricked those giants into spearing each other as they tried to catch you."

Tooru rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to argue about pettiness with the likes of you. Whether you accept it or not, Hajime is going to live in the wood for the foreseeable future. We have been together years now--we are not about to separate because you are feeling jealous that my time is divided between you and another person..."

"Please," Mina scoffed, "I am not jealous. I simply want what is best for you. Tooru, you are naive in the ways of man, always here in your woods surrounded by nature. All humans want is to take advantage of our hospitality, to hold as much power as they can. That man is your priest now, Tooru, a _favorite_. It will not be long until he is asking you to do his bidding, to get back at his enemies because you _love_ him. You've said yourself multiple times you do not want a part in human quarrels. I am simply reminding you of your word."

Everything Mina said was true. Tooru couldn't deny it. But he had learned otherwise since his brash words. _Hajime_ had taught him otherwise. And Hajime would never ask him to do something that was not beneficial to both of them. "If you wanted what was best for me," Tooru started, his voice shaking with barely concealed anger, "you would see that Hajime has only been a source of goodness in my life. And I may be naive but Hajime is not manipulative like the heroes you seem to be drawn to. He wants a quiet life of hunting and to be left alone. Try all you want to come up with an excuse as to why I should be rid of him, but you won't find one."

As soon as the words were out of Tooru's mouth, he regretted them. Neither one of them could pass up a challenge, and Tooru had just handed Mina one on a golden platter. She stood, too calm, and folded her napkin before placing it on the table and smoothing her golden skirts. Finally, she spoke. "There is always deception, brother. And if not deception, there will be hubris to cause a hero's downfall. Humans never learn from their past. Even if against all odds you and Hajime are together for another handful of years, what happens when he grows old and you stay just the way you are? Please, brother, think logically instead of with your heart. You aren't going to become a mortal for him, so why bother with this nonsense any longer?"

With that, Mina turned on her heel and walked out. Tooru watched her figure disappear into the foyer of the building before standing up and stacking the dishes, trying to clear his thoughts before he left to join Hajime. Mina's last sentiment had been worded very strangely. Becoming a mortal for Hajime. Stepping down from his responsibilities. He wouldn't do that.

Would he?

Eventually, a servant came scurrying into the room, appalled that Tooru was doing his own chores, shooing him out of his own temple. Resigned, his thoughts still tangled with Mina's words, he left.

Hajime was waiting for him in the back gardens. Tooru paused, watching Hajime as he sat on a fountain's edge, hands clasped in front of him, his expression unguarded. He looked a little tired, maybe a little sad, older than usual. Tooru's heart ached to see him like that.

He walked into the garden, making enough noise that Hajime had warning of his arrival. He glanced up, his expression instantly clearing into something much more reserved, his common look. Tooru's smile was thin as he said, "Well. That went as well as expected, I guess."

Hajime snorted. Tooru sat down next to him, pressing his shoulder against Hajime's. His warmth seeped into Tooru's skin. After a few moments of silence Tooru said, "I'm proud of you for not giving into Mina's insufferable attitude."

Hajime pulled away. Tooru frowned, sitting up straight to look at him. Hajime took a deep breath in, then out, before saying, "I don't think you understand how frustrating and frightening it is to be a human among gods. If I so much as breathed the wrong way, and it offended a god, I would be disposed of immediately. Or say, for example, two gods were warring over me; it would only take the whim of one to turn me into a tree."

Tooru couldn't look at Hajime. His anger simmered, not necessarily at Hajime, but at Mina, and the situation, and how the best thing in his life had suddenly become the most complicated. Before he had to express any of those emotions, Hajime continued speaking. "I don't blame you. And I don't want to leave you. I just want you to understand that these feelings are real, and that we are both making hard choices being...what we are. I want you to make the decisions that are best for you."

"Will you come home with me tonight?"

The words surprised Tooru as much as they did Hajime. The two of them stared at each other for a few long moments, Hajime's eyes inscrutable, Tooru's nervousness growing with each breath he took. This probably wasn't what Hajime had been expecting when he had told Tooru he wanted him to make the best decision for his life.

"Do you mean it?" Hajime asked finally. Tooru furrowed his brow, wondering what Hajime meant. Before he could ask, Hajime clarified. "You aren't just asking me because you are upset with Mina, are you?"

"No," Tooru said too quickly. Hajime's expression twisted into something akin to disappointment. As he turned away, Tooru reached out, latching a hand onto his bicep. "No, Iwa-chan, wait. I promise, I'm not asking you because of Mina. I mean, maybe a little, but I'm not lashing out at her, you know? I just...wanted someone...you said..."

Tooru snapped his mouth shut on his rambling desperation. He could feel his cheeks heating up with his embarrassment so he pulled away, standing up and turning, ready to flee. "It is fine. I will see you tomorrow."

"Tooru."

Tooru jerked his head to look over at Hajime, who had also stood and had stepped closer to Tooru. "I just wanted to make sure you were not making a rash decision. That you would not regret asking me in the morning."

"I've been thinking about it for a long while," Tooru admitted. "And now, after this fiasco, I figured why wait? What was I even waiting for in the first place? I've spent six years thinking about it. I think that's all the answer I need."

Hajime smiled. "You wouldn't be you if you weren't completely thorough in your assessment of a task at hand. If nothing else, I'm excited to finally see where you live."

Tooru rolled his eyes, but when he offered his hand to Hajime, Hajime didn't hesitate to link their fingers together.

Tooru's house wasn't far from the temple they had just eaten in. It wasn't a house so much as a network of caves in the cliff face of a small, craggy mountain not far from where Hajime was residing. Most of the caves were natural, but Tooru had smoothed and cleaned them out until they were connected into a simple, elegant living space. Mina found it quite drab, but Tooru was proud of the natural spring bath he had created and the heaps of fur he'd used to make the comfiest bedding he had ever felt. He'd never needed gold and gems before--why would he want them in his house?

Hajime raised his eyebrows when they reached the entrance. "You don't even have a door? And here I thought you lived a life of luxury as I whiled away in a cave, but you literally live in a cave too."

Tooru sniffed. "Please, it's hardly a cave. I'm not a heathen like you."

Tooru pulled Hajime into the entrance of his home, satisfied when he heard Hajime's breath catch in his throat.

The front room had a few pieces of handmade furniture, as he did do some less formal entertaining in his house, but the biggest attraction in that room was the spring running through it, and the small stepping stones and bridges Tooru had artfully placed to help guests cross from place to place.

From there, one hallway branched off into a simple kitchen, the other to the baths. Hajime gawked at them as they passed, and Tooru wasn't able to stop a smug smile from creeping across his face.

"Told you it would put your lodgings to shame," Tooru said gleefully. Hajime nodded, still distracted by the baths. "If you continue to the left, there are guest rooms and a small library. And to the right, my room."

Tooru opened the one door he did have in his home. The room wasn't extravagant, but it was nice, with a bed against the far wall and shelves carved into the stone at different levels to make it seem bigger than it was. The one thing that Tooru loved about this room was that it was angled just the right way that moonlight could stream in from a skylight he had created, one that could be covered or uncovered easily. The sound of the river echoed in the silence from where it drained into a natural pool at the far side of the room, one of Tooru's favorite sounds.

"I have an affinity to the moon," Tooru said, following Hajime's gaze up at the full moon, visible above them. "I don't need to use it much, as there is another moon goddess, but I help, just as Mina helps with the sun. I find the moonlight soothing."

"Wow," Hajime breathed. Tooru shut the door behind him as Hajime walked around the room looking at the various decorations Tooru had collected over the years. Tooru made his way to the bed and sat, watching as Hajime roamed. "This fits you very well, you know. I tried to picture you living in a mansion, but I couldn't. This though; this is a work of art."

"Thank you," Tooru said, leaning back on his hands on the bed. "I'm quite fond of it myself."

Hajime finally walked back over to Tooru and joined him on the bed. Tooru cocked his head to the side, studying Hajime, waiting for what, he didn't know. Hajime leaned over, so close to Tooru that he couldn't see all of Hajime's face. Instead, he studied the skin on Hajime's cheek, rough and sunkissed from years of laboring outside. He felt Hajime's warm breath on his lips, the heat of his body pressed against Tooru's skin, and suddenly he had never wanted to be kissed more in his life than right then.

As if sensing Tooru's desire, Hajime's hand cupped his neck, stroking the delicate skin behind his ear. Tooru shivered, leaning up to ghost his lips over Hajime's. This. This was going to happen. He wanted it to happen.

"Tooru," Hajime whispered. Tooru felt his name breathed against his skin more than heard it. He reached up with both hands, framing Hajime's cheeks, then pressed up against him, their lips finally meeting.

Tooru stroked his thumbs along Hajime's cheekbones as he deepened the kiss. Hajime was surprisingly pliant, allowing Tooru the opportunity to explore. At some point, Tooru lay back, Hajime hovering over him, their bodies so, so close. After a few moments, Tooru broke away. He felt his cheeks turn red and looked to the side.

"Is this okay?" Hajime asked after a few awkwardly silent moments, kissing Tooru softly at the hinge of his jaw.

"Shouldn't I be asking you?" Tooru asked. His voice sounded terribly uncertain. He had never been as nervous about anything in his life as he was right then, lying there, worried about what a mortal would think of his inexperience. 

Hajime pulled away just enough to capture Tooru's expression. He frowned, reaching up to tuck a few stray strands of hair behind Tooru's ear. His work-worn skin felt rough against Tooru's. Tooru glanced away, reaching up to link his fingers between Hajime's, keeping his hand pressed firmly on his cheek. He didn't know how a mortal could make him feel so safe.

"Tooru," Hajime said, and his voice held so much love. Tooru gripped Hajime's hand tighter, still refusing to look up at him. "Tooru, I could never feel anything less than awe for you. I...I feel so honored, so _unworthy_ to be the one you have chosen."

"It would never be anyone besides you," Tooru said fiercely, finally looking Hajime in the eye. 

Hajime smiled that small, crooked smile Tooru loved so dearly, untangling their hands. "We can go as slow and as long and as far as you want. You are in charge, Tooru-sama. We will figure this out together."

Hajime coaxed Tooru into switching positions, so Tooru was the one hovering over Hajime. Hajime was a gentle teacher, allowing Tooru to explore the planes of his stomach, the curve of his ass, the strong, supple muscles of his calves. And Hajime touched Tooru in return, igniting fires inside of him Tooru had only ever imagined.

Eventually, they were both naked and hard, pressed so tightly together Tooru could hardly tell where he ended and Hajime began. And when he finally slid inside Hajime, he knew this was destiny, and Hajime's gasp of pleasure was an ode to the love that had bloomed between them. Tooru couldn't understand why he had been so hesitant, so uncertain. Because, looking down at Hajime's clear green eyes, he knew this was where he was supposed to be. With Hajime. Supporting Hajime. Loving Hajime.

"Are you just going to stare at me all night or are you going to move?" Hajime finally whispered with a smirk. Tooru blinked. He felt his face turn red as Hajime chuckled softly. He thrust quickly, Hajime's laugh cutting off into a moan. He threw his head back, and Tooru admired his tan skin, silver under the moon.

"Tooru!" Hajime gasped, after a few blissful moments. Tooru turned his attention back to Hajime at the sound of his name. He had begun stroking his length in time with Tooru's thrusts. "Tooru, feels so good. I'm...ah..."

Tooru groaned, watching as Hajime fell apart underneath him. Tooru had done that, made this beautiful, experienced mortal feel such pleasure. "Haji...Hajime," he whimpered. He tipped over the edge and released inside Hajime, his vision whitening for a moment in sheer ecstasy.

When Tooru came back to his senses, he pulled out, collapsing next to Hajime, slick with sweat, limbs languid as he tried to pull closer to him.

Hajime chuckled. "Let me get a cloth to wash up first."

Tooru pouted, but Hajime kissed his forehead then stood, making his way to where the river ran through the room. Tooru had never been happier for the fact that he kept a stack of towels in his room. He admired Hajime's tight, firm muscles as he walked, the light of the moon making his skin glow. Hajime found a cloth and ran it across his body, making sure to clean himself thoroughly before rinsing it and bringing it back to Tooru.

His hands were soft as he cleaned Tooru. Tooru tugged incessantly at his arm until, laughing, Hajime relented, lying next to him. Tooru cuddled close, basking in the warmth of Hajime's body next to him. Tooru felt Hajime kiss the top of his head, and reciprocated by kissing his shoulder. 

"Tomorrow, I'll give you a tour of the baths," Tooru said, smiling as Hajime chuckled. They lay there together, sharing a kiss every once in awhile but mostly basking in the closeness of their bodies.

"I'd never regret this," Tooru murmured after a long while, feeling Hajime's lips smile against his forehead. "Will you stay with me? Forever?"

Hajime made a noise of affirmation. "I'd do anything for you."

"Even if I put you up to a big, impossible task? Like clearing all the squirrels out of the forest?"

"Even if you tasked me to kill every beast on the earth. I'd do it for you."

After that promise, Hajime fell asleep quickly. Tooru studied him, the way his face looked younger than it did when he was awake. He pressed his own fingers to his cheek, feeling his perfect, youthful skin.

It had been fate that brought them together. Fate would decide the rest of their journey. But for now, Tooru was quite content curling up next to his lover and falling asleep, leaving the worrying for another day.

* * *

When Tooru finally reaches the clearing, the sun has just set. Issei hasn't move from his vigil next to Hajime. Tooru takes a deep breath as he approaches them.

"Cleared your head?" Issei asks.

"I guess you could call it that," Tooru answers as he sits next to Issei. It's still hard for him to look at Hajime. "It was easier to separate my emotions from my thoughts while I was away."

Issei hums but doesn't make a move to leave.

They sit in silence, Tooru watching the nighttime creatures peek curiously out from their bushes before scampering away. His hand absentmindedly shifts to Hajime's, rubbing soft circles on the back of his hand. His skin is ice cold.

"Where is Hiro?" Tooru asks.

Issei shrugs. "I told him I would be with you today."

Tooru nods. "You would do anything for Hiro, wouldn't you? He is a dryad, so he has years to live, but still. You would protect him with your life, wouldn't you?"

Issei shifts uncomfortably. "I don't know why you're asking."

"Do you want to be separated from Hiro forever?" Issei looks away. "Ah," Tooru says with a nod. "You're lucky, because you live in the Underworld. I don't know much about it, but I wanted to talk to you about something I learned today. About trading."

"Tooru, I don't think you're in a proper headspace to be making decisions like this," Issei tries, but Tooru shakes his head.

"The Underworld runs on a strict set of rules, just like Olympus and the Seas and even, by extension, my woods. If I want Hajime's soul back, I can make a trade, correct?" When Issei doesn't answer, Tooru presses on. "Mina said something to me, something very odd, about becoming mortal for him. Looking back on it, she seemed very nervous. As if she already knew what my decision would be."

Issei's eyes darken in warning. "Tooru," he says, his voice sharp. 

Tooru doesn't stop, meeting Issei's eyes with fire in his own. "It is in the ancient laws. That anything can be traded for something of greater value."

"There is not much greater than a mortal soul, not anything that wouldn't destroy a god. Tooru, I understand what you are experiencing. We've all lost mortals who are dear to us. But that's how it is meant to be. We are not made to love mortals." Issei's hands come to rest on Tooru's biceps, squeezing slightly as if trying to pull Tooru physically away from his thoughts. 

"So you have confirmed I could trade something of greater value than a human soul," Tooru asks again, his voice firm. Issei presses his lips together but doesn't answer. His eyes are almost completely black with his frustration. It's all the answer Tooru needs. He nods, takes his hands, places them on Issei's neck, almost an embrace. Issei has been Tooru's friend for as long as he could recall, the second closest to him through all his years after Mina. He knows this is going to be hard for Issei to accept, but he cannot fathom a life without Hajime. He makes sure his gaze is unwavering as he asks Issei, "If I give you my immortality, would that make a fair trade?"

* * *

It didn't take long until Hajime had moved completely into Tooru's home, and even less time until Tooru felt like Hajime had been there forever. Tooru loved waking up next to him, doing menial daily tasks together before they went off to take care of the forest, coming back to him at night and bathing and lying with him, intimately or just to sleep, Tooru loved them both. 

He though they would have existed like that forever, if it weren't for Mina's unexpected invitation for Tooru to pay her an overnight visit. They hadn't talked much since their tussle over dinner, and the silence had felt ominous. Usually, he was relieved when Mina reached out to him. It meant she had finally gotten over their argument.

So why did this seem like it hid an ulterior motive?

"I'm going to see my sister," Tooru murmured into Hajime's shoulder the night before he was due to leave, after an evening spent wrapped up in each other. He felt Hajime tense, and kissed the back of his neck quickly, wrapping his arms around Hajime, linking their fingers together. "It will only be overnight. I have left you alone for longer than that."

"It just seems like very convenient timing," Hajime said finally. His thumb ran circles on Tooru's wrist. "There are other gods and goddesses in the forest right now because of the busyness of spring. Knowing her, she's up to something, taking you away at such a crucial time."

"I'm cunning too," Tooru said, tightening his grip on Hajime. "She won't be able to take you away from me so easily. You're mine now and I'm not letting you go without a fight."

Hajime shifted, pulling Tooru's hand up and pressing his lips against it. "I worry about your focus sometimes. Please don't do anything rash for my sake."

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Tooru said, his voice edged with finality. "I will do anything that you'll do for me. God or mortal, you deserve that much."

"Then don't go tomorrow," Hajime whispered into Tooru's hair. He remembered Mina's coy words, telling him that humans manipulated, wanted only what was best for them and no one else. He didn't think that was what Hajime was doing now, but it felt close, and it made the hair on Tooru's arms stand on end.

"I have to answer my sister's summons," he snapped. "And if I hear any more about it, you can sleep by yourself tonight."

Hajime didn't mention it again.

The next day was strange. He and Hajime argued about everything from what to eat for dinner to where the best place to set up a campsite was if they were gone overnight. But never had they argued about something so deeply, both taking stances they wouldn't budge on. It frustrated Tooru that Hajime and Mina didn't get along, and it made him even more angry that he knew Hajime was probably right in his reservations. But he would go to Mina, give her a final ultimatum: accept Hajime, or leave his life. There wasn't anything else.

He didn't say goodbye to Hajime before he left. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence between them, but that night it felt wrong, most likely because they were still arguing. He almost turned around, but decided not to. He would be away from Hajime for less than half a day. Nothing was going to happen.

He arrived at Mina's just as dinner was served. Mina didn't say anything about his lack of punctuality, just gestured him to his usual seat. She chatted about nothing important, didn't even bring Hajime up past the wrinkle of her nose as soon as Tooru walked through the door. "I see you've finally coupled with your human," she said with a sniff. Before Tooru could retort, Mina had already moved on. "But we're not here to talk about that. Tell me, how is your archery coming along? We haven't shot together in ages." Warily, Tooru eased into the conversation. He was surprised when it was completely normal.

He knew Hajime was just being paranoid.

But his dreams that night were plagued by visions of accidents, Hajime begging for help and Tooru too far away to reach him in time. He tossed and turned all night, cold without Hajime's warmth beside him. He hated how quickly he had gotten used to having Hajime next to him.

The next morning Tooru was in a foul mood due to his lack of rest. He rose before the sun, intent on getting home, but Mina accosted him, roping him into an early breakfast. She looked positively glowing. "Breakfast is served," she sang as she ushered him to the table. She handed him a loaf of fluffy white bread, his favorite, and he took a vicious bite out of it before turning to dish other, more practical food onto his plate. "You don't look like you slept well."

"What gave it away?" Tooru asked, less bite in his words than usual. He hoped that putting food in his body would get him feeling normal. He didn't want to have to admit to Hajime how much he'd worried about him. Hajime would tease him mercilessly, then scold him about his narrow-minded focus.

Mina shrugged. "It is a lovely day, isn't it? Wouldn't it be nice to go on an impromptu hunting trip? Maybe visit Delos. Or Mother. It’s been so long since you’ve been able to get away.”

"I have to get back to Hajime," Tooru said tiredly. "We left things a little tense, and I would like to let him know where I'm going before we leave. What about tomorrow?"

Mina waved her hand in the air. "He's not your keeper, Tooru. He doesn't need to know where you are."

Irritation spread through Tooru's chest. "It's just a decent thing to do, telling your companion where you are going and who you are going to be spending your time with. Especially when that someone is trying to monopolize your time."

Mina's lips turned down into a pout. "Is that what you think I'm doing? Monopolizing your time? Well, I think that foolish human has taken up enough of yours. Good riddance to him."

Tooru heard his fork clatter to the table as he lost his grip on it. The world around him slowed, every piece of the room suddenly in crystal sharp focus. Hajime's warning, the worry embedded deep in his voice, reverberated in his mind. "Mina," he said, his voice calm. Funny. It felt like he was panicking. She cocked an eyebrow at him. "What did you do?"

"It's not what _I_ did," she said, picking a piece of lint off of the tablecloth in a show of boredom, "it's what your hapless mortal said. Honestly, what did he expect when he so baselessly flaunted his hunting prowess? Without you, he is nothing more than any other skilled hunter. And if Gaia caught wind of the silly notion from Selene and so happened to issue a test, well."

Tooru's grip was so tight on the table that it splintered under his fingers. _Even if you tasked me to kill every beast on earth, I'd do it for you_. It had been a silly conversation after a night of pleasure, nothing serious. How had Mina even found out? How had she known to ask Selene about that night?

He could only imagine what Gaia had sent--a manticore, or a giant vulture, or some sort of hybrid beast that Hajime would never stand a chance of beating. "You jealous, manipulative monster," Tooru said finally, his voice shaking, pushing away from the table, standing on trembling legs. "He was right, and I refused to listen to him because you are my _sister_ , and like a fool, I believed you wanted what was best for me, just like I've always wanted for you. And now I see that's clearly not the case."

Mina blinked slowly, unimpressed with Tooru's rant. "Do not contact me ever again. You had best hope he is still alive or I will unleash hell on you," he growled, and left Mina sitting there, an uneasy expression on her face as he gathered his bow and dashed away.

Tooru had never run as fast as he did then, sprinting through Mina's city, down the path that led to his woods. As soon as he stepped into them, he knew there was something there that shouldn't be, something scaring the creatures. He knew Hajime would confront it, because he had come to love the forest just as much as Tooru had.

"Please," he gasped as he ran, not sure who he was praying to. "Please let me get there in time. Please, Hajime, I can't lose you."

He broke into the clearing just in time to see the giant scorpion's tail strike Hajime on the back, throwing him across the clearing where he crumpled in a heap. Tooru could tell he was dead in the same instinctual way he could tell when he was hunting. He set his jaw, lined up his shot, and unleashed a volley of arrows at the scorpion. It didn't even have time to assess its newest foe before it lay dead, shriveling up and disappearing like all the abominations that the gods' had created. It died almost as fast as Hajime had.

Afterward, Tooru stood there, hardly winded from his flight, his bow clutched in his hands. His body screamed at him to stay alert, that there could be another enemy, but the clearing was so, so quiet. When he couldn't put it off any longer, Tooru steeled himself and looked over at Hajime. His green eyes stared sightlessly back at him. 

Everything was so, so still.

* * *

The Underworld is murky, muted, and sterile. Tooru wrinkles his nose at how strangely absent it is of freshness. There's no vegetation, just a large river, still except for Charon's boat, and the sweeping mountains on both sides, rocky and intimidating. "Have you ever climbed up there?" Tooru asks, ignoring the way people turn to stare at him with looks varying from wonder to hostility.

Issei shrugs. Tooru can tell by the way he holds his shoulders that he is still upset with Tooru, and Tooru can't blame him. It would be a shock to him as well, knowing one of his friends were about to become human. "I haven't personally, but there have been others. It's not that exciting. The other rivers branch off among them, and Tartarus lies further on."

"Hmm," Tooru says. "Maybe I'll make you let me go explore when I live here permanently."

Issei snorts. "That's not how it works."

Tooru sighs dramatically. "What's the point of having a friend in death if they don't even sneak you out to do anything fun?"

Issei is silent for a few moments. Tooru thinks he has gone too far, and he's about to try and talk them out of this awkward situation, but Issei speaks first. "You don't have to do this."

He doesn't sound like he is trying to convince Tooru, but rather that he's trying to come up with a reason why Tooru shouldn't and can't. Tooru smiles sadly. "I know I don't have to, but I want to. I am not going into this blindly. I weighed my options very carefully, and the decision ultimately came down to one question: would immortality be enough?"

Tooru shrugs. "No matter how I tried, I could not make immortality worth more than Hajime living by my side."

Issei's shoulders relax at Tooru's admission. It's not exactly acceptance, but understanding. They don't speak again as Issei leads him up a flight of stairs carved into a mountain face into a large entrance hall. Tooru follows Issei into a room off the side, where a beautiful set of scales sits alone on a table, nothing else in the room, not even a painting.

"Is this where you work?" Tooru asks, glancing around at the sleek, sparse decor. "Kind of drab."

Issei rolls his eyes. "I'm only here if I have to balance anything. It's not a task I'm assigned often. Shockingly, there is relatively little trading in the Underworld. You know, I'll miss you."

Tooru's confident footsteps falter. He swallows. "I'll miss you too," he says quietly. "But I'm not going away forever. It may be hard to visit, but we can make it work. And when I die, I will be here, so actually, you're getting the best deal out of anyone."

Issei gives a wet chuckle. He turns around, rubbing at his eyes, and Tooru has to blink back his own tears. "Let me go get his soul. Wait here."

Before Tooru can say or do anything, Issei walks out a door opposite of where they entered, leaving Tooru alone. He clasps his hands in front of him, studying his surroundings. They still aren't very exciting. He turns his attention to the scale, made of a beautiful, dark stone. It looks as ancient as the laws themselves.

"Please," Tooru whispers, to fate, to destiny, to the universe itself. "Please let me take Hajime back."

A few moments later, Issei reappears. He doesn't look any different, but Tooru's attention turns immediately to the hand fisted at his side. There is a pull, a vibration, an inherent sense of Tooru's attuned to Hajime. He can _feel_ him, and he has to grab onto the table beside him so that he doesn't step closer to Issei.

"Here we are, one mortal soul for Hajime Iwaizumi. I have to tell you, it weighs quite a lot."

Tooru holds his breath as Issei uncurls his fingers, dropping a small, pearl-like substance into the right pan. It shimmers, a slight fog curling up into the air, and the scale drops. Tooru watches the numbers continue to rise. For such a small object, it is indeed heavy.

Next, Issei guides Tooru to the left side of the scale. "You are absolutely sure you want to do this? There will be no going back."

Tooru closes his eyes. He thinks about everything he is leaving behind--his forest and the creatures in it. His friends, Issei and Takahiro. His sister. And for just a moment, he begins to reconsider.

But as he's about to tell Issei to wait, to talk this through with him, he imagines Hajime's smile, the one he usually shows when he thinks Tooru isn't looking, small and crooked and beautiful. He thinks about the way Hajime banters with him, how he shows his concern with brash affection. The way he touches him, as if he were the most important thing on earth. He remembers how they'd left each other so angry. He doesn't want that to be their last interaction.

"Yes," Tooru says, opening his eyes. "Yes, I am absolutely sure this is what I want. Hajime is my destiny, and if my immortality cannot bring us back together, then at least my death can."

Issei doesn't try to sway Tooru again. Instead, he presses his thumb and forefinger to the base of Tooru's neck and pulls.

It is a very strange sensation, having your immortality plucked from you. It feels a little like a loose string unraveling from fabric. The longer Issei works, coaxing the glowing white string out of Tooru, the weaker he becomes, until he is sure he will fall over if he tries to walk. After a few long moments, a tiny jolt runs down Tooru's back. "There," Issei murmurs, as if the string in his hand were a small sleeping child. The string glows a soft gold and sits in a small ball in the middle of Issei's palm. Tooru isn't sure if Issei had wrapped it like that as he went, or if it naturally curled in on itself. Before he can ask any more questions, Issei drops Tooru's immortality onto the left plate.

For just the briefest moment, the scale stays where it is. Tooru's breath catches in his throat. _No, no, please work. Please let me take him back. Please let this not all have been in vain._

Then, finally, the scale tips, Hajime's soul rising as Tooru's immortality sinks.

He lets out the breath he had been holding.

"There you have it," Issei says, his voice resigned. "It seems you're worthy to make the trade."

With shaking fingers, Tooru scoops up Hajime's soul. As soon as he touches the strange, pearl-like object, warmth and comfort and familiarity race through his body, not unlike the time he had blessed Hajime to be his priest. He cups it gently into his hand like he would a tiny, orphaned bird. 

"I didn't want to admit it, but you two are made to be together. Two halves of the same soul." Tooru looks up at Issei's small, sad smile. "I felt it as soon as I touched your immortality. Just don't forget about me too quickly, okay?"

Tooru smiles to match Issei's--melancholy but hopeful. He opens his arms, and Issei steps into his hug. "I could never forget you. Thank you for helping me."

"It's my duty," Issei says. "Now, you need to leave."

Issei leads Tooru back the way they came, to the entrance to the Underworld closest to his woods. Well, they are not entirely his woods any more. He can only hope whoever takes his place will allow him to continue to live there. He doesn't know if he can bear to leave. 

"Thank you," Tooru says again, when it is clear Issei is about to depart. He pauses. "And just because I'm not a proper god anymore doesn't mean I don't still expect you to come visit me! Especially because it will be much harder for me to call on you now."

Issei chuckles softly. "Oh, you aren't getting rid of me and Hiro that easily," he says. Tooru waves before Issei turns back to the entrance to the Underworld, which seals behind him as if it were never there. It's not the last time Tooru will see Issei or Hiro, he is sure. Losing his immortality does not negate his friendships.

With that resolution in mind, he walks quickly and carefully through the wood. The creatures are more curious than ever, now that there is something different with Tooru. But he ignores them all, making a straight line for Hajime.

When he arrives in the clearing, he slows, then stops. Hajime hasn't been touched, still lying peacefully in the middle of the clearing. Tooru opens his hand, just slightly, reassured by the soft pearlescent glow in his fingers. He takes a deep breath, then steps toward Hajime.

"I saw this moment," Mina's voice says directly behind him. Tooru whirls to face her, clutching Hajime's soul to his chest as if she were about to try and pry it from his fingers. He doesn't say anything and she continues. "You, a god, giving everything up for a mere human. Why, Tooru?"

He is surprised with how calm he feels to be in Mina's presence. He was so sure that the next time he saw her, they'd set off a war between them, probably decimate cities with their wrath like they had done before, but looking at her, so haughty, trying to cover up her sadness like Tooru is wont to do, just makes his heart full.

"Because this is my destiny," Tooru says simply, dropping his arms to his sides. "And no matter how hard you try, you cannot fight fate."

Mina's expression is inscrutable as he approaches her slowly. "I'm not leaving you," Tooru says, gently, placing a hand on her arm. This time, she doesn't move away. "You're still my sister, my closest companion. But Hajime also holds a part of me now that I don't want to let go of. I know you have come close to feeling it before, and I know one day, you'll find someone who will make you feel the same way. Besides. You have so many followers and responsibilities, you'll hardly miss me."

"We'll see about that," Mina says, her voice trying to stay cold. She folds her arms. "You'll still come visit. And I'll bless your house with protection against illnesses, of course."

"Of course," Tooru says with a grin. He opens his arms and, reluctantly, Mina hugs him.

"I have never successfully won against fate," Mina says when they break away. "I don't know why I keep trying."

Tooru laughs. "Because we wouldn't be us if we didn't try. Pride runs very deep in our family."

Mina's mouth finally relaxes. Her smile is small, but it's a start. "I love you," she says, and Tooru can't remember the last time they shared the sentiment. Before he can say it back, though, she says, "Don't think I'm going to favor you or anything if you end up on some asinine quest. If anything, I'll send a lightning storm to put you out of your misery."

"I wouldn't go to you for help anyway!" Tooru says, sticking his tongue out at her like he used to when they were young. She laughs, and in the time it takes Tooru to blink, she has disappeared from sight.

Tooru is still smiling when he kneels down next to Hajime's body. He holds his breath as he presses his hand to Hajime's chest. There is a brief flash of the same pearly light that had misted off of the soul before the clearing is dark again, the only light the soft moon, three days from full. Tooru's breath is harsh, the sound pressing into his ears as he waits for Hajime to respond. It seems to take an eternity, and he is not sure if it is because of his anticipation or his new mortal sense of time, or both.

When Hajime opens his eyes, Tooru freezes. He stays completely still as Hajime groans, trying to sit up. "What...Shit, my back..."

"Don't strain yourself," Tooru finally says, his hands fluttering around Hajime like birds as he helps him sit up without hurting him further. "You were dead, Iwa-chan. I don't know if you knew that. But it's fine, I got you back! And now we can be together forever, because I traded my immortality."

Tooru stops rambling. He waits for Hajime to process all of his words and respond. Finally, he does.

"Idiot," Hajime says, his voice breaking at the end of the word. He wraps Tooru in a hug, pulling him close. "You shouldn't have done it. It wasn't worth it."

"You can't convince me you wouldn't have done the same thing," Tooru whispers, his own emotions rising to the surface. He blinks his eyes quickly to stop the tears from falling. "Fate brought us together for a reason. I would rather be able to die as a mortal and have you even in death than stay forever in a body without you. I love you, Hajime Iwaizumi, and I will never stop."

Hajime pulls away, just enough to meet Tooru's lips for a kiss. "I love you so much," Hajime murmurs against Tooru's mouth.

Tooru gives a beatific smile. "I think I can safely say after everything that has transpired, that I love you more."

Hajime rolls his eyes but doesn't retort. Instead, he kisses Tooru again, and Tooru wraps his arms around Hajime's neck. They now have a whole lifetime together to argue about it and everything else that comes to mind. Tooru knows now, without a shadow of a doubt, that this is where he is meant to be.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! Comments/kudos always welcome! 
> 
> Socials are in the profile!


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